From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
William Erasmus Darwin
Date:
27 [Feb 1858]
Source of text:
DAR 210.6: 23
Summary:
CD intends to enter WED at Christ’s College.
Thanks him for inquiries made about horses.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
William Darwin Fox
Date:
28 Feb [1858]
Source of text:
Christ’s College Library, Cambridge (MS 53 Fox 112)
Summary:
WDF’s nephew has forgotten to mention the most important element, whether the lizards’ eggs floated and stayed alive on sea-water.
Thanks for facts about turkeys and terrier [see Natural selection, p. 481 n.].
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
28 Feb [1858]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 225
Summary:
JDH has confirmed CD’s opinion on the affinities of species in great genera. Is looking at large genera in several local Floras to find the "range & commonness of varying species".
Has been "beyond measure interested" in the construction instincts of the hive-bee.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Charles Cardale Babington
Date:
4 Mar [1858]
Source of text:
Cambridge University Library (MS Add.8182: 21)
Summary:
Notes views of Hooker and George Bentham on monotypic forms.
Has tabulated several floras and finds that large genera show preponderance in numbers of varieties. Now sees his results are quite worthless.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
5 [Mar 1858]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 226
Summary:
C. C. Babington agrees with JDH that botanists tend to note varieties more in large genera than in very small ones.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Royal Society of London
Date:
5 Mar 1858
Source of text:
The Royal Society (RR3: 255)
Summary:
C. P. Smyth’s observations on geology and natural history of Tenerife are not precise enough to warrant publication in Philosophical Transactions. Suggests CPS draw up an abstract, for the Proceedings, of specific points actually observed, rather than conclusions arrived at on insufficient grounds.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
William Bernhard Tegetmeier
Date:
7 Mar [1858]
Source of text:
Christie’s, London (dealers) (15 July 2015, lot 176)
Summary:
Wrote some weeks ago about Burmese fowl-skins; is willing to send them, carriage paid.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Frederick Smith
Date:
[before 9 Mar 1858]
Source of text:
DAR Pamphlet collection (bound with Smith, Frederick (a) 1854)
Summary:
Four queries regarding the habits of bees and ants with answers by FS interlined between each query.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
10 [Mar 1858]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 227
Summary:
Heartened that tabulations of small and large genera done in different ways yield good results. JDH has done some tabulations but has not followed CD’s method of getting equal numbers of small and large genera.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Richard Kippist
Date:
10 Mar [1858]
Source of text:
James Cummins, Bookseller (dealer) (15 November 2012)
Summary:
In great want of two books, which he had borrowed previously: Boreau Flora du Centre de la France and A. E. Fürnrohr, Naturhistorische Topographie von Regensburg, Bd 2 Flora Ratisbonensis.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Trenham Reeks
Date:
10 Mar [1858]
Source of text:
British Geological Survey Archives (GSM 1/501)
Summary:
Asks whether correspondent can assist in determining value of slate slabs with relief figures executed for Josiah Wedgwood [I].
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
11 Mar [1858]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 228
Summary:
JDH’s "objection" that small local genera do not vary and mundane ones do, is exactly CD’s point. Local floras useful to test idea that varieties are incipient species. Same genus in different countries cannot be lumped.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
16 [Mar 1858]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 229
Summary:
Thanks JDH for his objections; will respond by sending fair copy of MS when written.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Royal Society of London
Date:
22 Mar 1858
Source of text:
The Royal Society (RR3: 147)
Summary:
Recommends Leonard Horner’s "Account of some recent researches near Cairo" for publication in Philosophical Transactions [R. Soc. Lond. 148 (1858): 53–9]. Believes all the details and sections should be published in full because of importance of investigations leading to the conclusion that man has existed in Egypt for over 13000 years.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Unidentified
Date:
26 Mar [1858?]
Source of text:
American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.34)
Summary:
Returns the Greenland catalogue, which he has kept too long.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
George Busk; Linnean Society
Date:
30 Mar [1858]
Source of text:
Linnean Society of London (SP.585c)
Summary:
Expresses his strong opinion that Huxley’s paper ["Agamic reproduction and morphology of Aphis", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 22 (1858): 193–220, 221–36] should be published.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
John Lubbock, 4th baronet and 1st Baron Avebury
Date:
30 [Mar? 1858]
Source of text:
DAR 263: 23 (EH 88206472)
Summary:
Comments and criticisms on JL’s paper [possibly: "On the development of Chloëon dimidiatum", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 24 (1863): 61–78].
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
31 Mar [1858]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 230
Summary:
Writing section on large and small genera [for Natural selection, ch. 4].
Huxley supersedes Owen on parthenogenesis.
Buckle’s History of civilisation in England extremely interesting.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Leonard Jenyns; Leonard Blomefield
Date:
1 Apr [1858]
Source of text:
Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution
Summary:
Thanks LJ for his book [Observations in meteorology (1858)].
CD has been working on his species book [Natural selection].
Has become dreadfully heterodox on immutability of species.
His work on pigeons: variation under domestication throws the greatest light on variation in a state of nature.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
4 Apr [1858]
Source of text:
Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (25)
Summary:
Discusses the variation of species in large and small genera.
Thanks AG for his list of close species.
Laments the slow progress he makes with his book [Natural selection].
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project